January 29, 2014

Questions of the Day for Those With More Than One Blog

I have been reading a lot of tutorials on how to have a successful blog, and I've been thinking about a some of the advice. One thing that has spent a lot of time tumbling around my empty head is that most of them advise that a blog should have a specific subject, for example, lampshades. And every post within that blog should be about lampshades. They also suggest that people who have a blog narrowed to one subject should have a separate blog for their other interest(s), for example, naval lint.

Now I like a lot of blogs with a very specific topic, like woodworking, or quilting, or makeovers, but I also don't like a lot of blogs with very specific topics, like lampshades or naval lint. I made those up by the way, I think, though there probably is a blog just about lampshades, and there could very well be a blog about naval lint. But the point is that there are blogs that don't interest me, just as there are blogs that don't interest you. I do find, however, that subject specific blogs are easier (meaning they take less time) to browse because I either like it or I don't.

My favorite blogs are the ones where the author gives a connection to their personal life. I get the warm fuzzies of friendship or a kindred spirit, even though it is one dimensional. I don't expect to ever meet these bloggers, but I know they are real people, with real lives, facing some of the real problems as I. And it makes a difference.

But back to the subject at hand, having more than one blog, and at least one for a specific subject area. Of course, I don't do that here, and it may be too late, or too futile to even consider it. But I do have some questions for those of you who do so I'll have more thoughts to tumble around.

1. Did you start out at the beginning with more than one blog, or did you separate them after a time?

2. Do you have different blogs for different areas of interest or another reason? What is that?

3. Is it harder to come up with content when you have multiple blogs, or do you just post less often to each?

4. Do you find that you have the same readers on each blog, or does each blog attract a different set of readers?

5. Did separating your blogs increase your readership and/or comments on one or more of the blogs?

6. What would you recommend to someone who is just starting a blog? Or to someone who has an long time multi-purpose blog? (that would be me)

Thanks!

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10 comments:

  1. I have two blogs, but one is private. I use it as a journal or a place to vent, collect quotes and articles. I am the only reader.

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    1. Well, technically, I have five blogs. I started two of them for a specific purpose, one to track old sales on ebay and one to collect tutorial and patterns I'd like to try one day. But the first took way too much time and effort, and the second fizzled because very few people responded when I asked permission to feature their project. I started another to test changes to my template before actually putting them on here. That after changing my template one time and totally messing up everything. But then I started writing post ideas or how to do html and other stuff I didn't want to lose, so I started another test blog, and that one I do keep just to try out changes.

      But what having the first two blogs made me realize, especially the ebay sales one, is that time given to them was time taken away from this blog.

      There is a blog, Craft Gossip, that is divided into categories within one blog. It's a little hard for me to follow from my reader, but I think what works for it is that it has many writers in each category. I don't think that's possible in blogger, and I'm too used to this format to change to another now.

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  2. I like having one multipurpose blog for the reasons you stated so well in your third paragraph. I like feeling like I'm getting to know the person behind the blog, and we are not all one-dimensional creatures whose only hobby is X or Y or Z. Often our interests they overlap. Like if I go thrifting and find a great piece of fabric and a piece of Pyrex, am I going to separate those experiences out on different blogs? (Well, technically I have blogging rights on the Pyrex Connection and have done that, but it takes a lot of time). On the other hand, I can see why others don't want to waste time reading about things like thrifting or the latest thing that interests me musically when the reason they peek in is to see what I've been sewing. I'll be interested in seeing your comments. For me, it boils down to economy of time and energy and me tending to like to keep it simple.

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    1. Well said. You nailed it with the overlapping interests. I was going to something like that with naval lint covered lampshades, but I got so far off topic that I let it go. lol

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  3. I started out with an idea for a blog & it was going to be me sharing my ideas & embroidery & books & my daughter... Then I realized that I am a private, introverted person & even here on the internet, I don't want to share too much. So I removed all of the overtly personal posts & started over as a strictly embroidery/redwork blog. But I throw my life in there, because it is a personal form of communication, a social form.

    I do have 2 other blogs (& a music blog I am doing with my daughter & hop to be rolling out next week!). Those blogs are very specific. My history blog is for work. I am a public historian & am required to research & write. What better way to fulfill that than publish on the internet through a blog! My other blog I just started this Jan. & it is my great-grandmother's diary from 1936. I got my dad's permission to post each day to coincide with her diary entry. I add picture, recipes and a bit of commentary along the way.

    I think the most important thing is to write & be true to yourself. & share! I share on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, anywhere I can. Honestly, I have a fair number of readers, but not many followers. Until the Grow Your Blog party I only had 2 followers on my embroidery blog. Now I have over 30.

    Does anyone know of a history blog hop? I could use one.

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    1. I totally understand putting too much out there. I write a lot about myself and my family, and maybe I'm only fooling myself, but that is why I don't have my real name or location on my blog. It probably wouldn't take much for a good snooper to find me though. And I have removed posts before that I thought revealed too much too.

      What I want to know from you is how you manage everything? Sounds like you have a full time job on top of everything else.

      You mentioned Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. That was another thing most of the how to articles mentioned - sharing on social media. I'm not good at one liners (in case you haven't noticed, I'm too wordy), and I just can't find time to get on Facebook or Google+. I tried to figure out Twitter one time but I just didn't get it. I can't even remember to save photos to Pinterest, and I can't figure out why it helps to have Pinterest followers. I could pin more though. I'll try to remember to do that.

      I haven't heard of any history blog hops, but I don't read a lot of history blogs. I read a few blogs that focus on their region but they don't give a lot of history unless it's just an explanation of their photo. That would be a good question to ask on your blog, or on the history blogs you follow.

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  4. I once considered doing a second blog for photography, but as I barely have time to get content on the first blog, I'm know I wouldn't have time to keep up with a second.

    I mainly follow the blogs of quilters with a few photography ones thrown in. But the ones I come back to are the ones where I feel a personal connection. It's like having a conversation, with someone who you share common interests with. You may share a lot about your common interest, but there are also those other conversations along the way about other stuff.

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    1. I totally agree. When I see blogs that have buttons for following them on facebook, and pinterest, and instagram, and other things I've never even heard of, I feel like such a sloth. I don't know how they do it either, unless some of their posts or pictures cross over. But I'm like you, I can barely keep up with one blog the way I'm doing it now.

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  5. Hi marti! well I've come to visit you after you came over to one of my blogs www?countryfragrance.blogspot.com which is my blog I started when we bought the little house here! and moved back to this area from Townsville. It shows the journey of us moving in here and what we do around the cottage, improvements, craftwork, family stuff ( for family & friends in other states) etc. I did not start out to have more than one blog, but I did start one no too far back when I felt led to share with other women about keeping home & hearth and using 7 pillars that came from a bible verse. Since it has a very specific, yet broad direction, it still gets part of me in there, but I feel it has a different direction. You can find it at http://www.the7pillarshome.blogspot.com And if you feel inclined, I would love you to have a read and see if you do in fact notice a difference between the 2 blogs, as it would be good feedback for me. I don't feel the need to post everyday, so posting is not a huge problem. These are my 2 active blogs. I did set up a couple of others....one when I was selling my homemade soaps, & one when I was going to try to keep track of loosing a bit of weight......I don't post to either of them now & must get around to deleting them.
    By the way, I have enjoyed visiting your blog & will become a follower
    Take care
    Sharm

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    1. I love your other blogs. I can see some similarities and yet a different purpose too. For me, I've decided to just keep this one as it is, and set up tabs or something for different areas like quilting, woodcrafts, etc. I think I would spread myself too thin trying to keep up with the different blogs when I feel like I already spend too much time on the computer.

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